New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-01
FROM SENATE TO GOVERNOR.

The Senate yesterday passed the High
License bill by vote of 1a-14. Two Repub-
icans. Coggeshall and Worth, voted against
the bill with the Democrats, all of whom,
faithful to the orders of the saloon men, put
themselves on record as the champions OF free
rum. The Republican party has thus vindi-
Gated itself in proving it's desire to restrain the
drink evil, and it has shown a determination to
carry out the public will the extent of
which may best be gagged by considering the
abject submission of the Democrats to the
liquor interest. Never has party more openly
and shamelessly declared itself the docile tool
and agent of the most sinister and mischlevous
organization known to modern society. Never,
it may be added, has an Executive, in directing
and urging such an exhibition OF subservlency'
prepared for himself greater humiliation than
awaits Governor Hill in his already announced
purpose to veto the bill.
There can be no doubt that. willing as he has
ever been to do the drtiest of the dirty work
required of him by the keepers OF the
gin-mIlls, he would have preferred to shuttle
out of the "hOle" in which he now finds
himself To that end he has for weeks been
working desperately among the members OF
both Senate and Assembly. He seems to have
hoped perhaps because he strongly desired. that
he could find enough Republican votes to beat
the High License bill in one of the chambers
He secured every Democratic vote in the Sem
ate and all but one in the Assembly. He would
have given much to avoid the difficulty which
he is now face to face with. UnquestiOnably
his preposterous message about special leglsla-
ton and his veto of the Willard Asylum Excise
l.; in he hot no nj
vetOing High License would weaken its
support in the Senate and so acquit him of
responsibility.
The Republican Senator's however. were in
no mood for yielding They realized the ex-
tent and depth of the public sentiment behind
the High License bill, and they were deter
mined to do their duty in regard to it. This
they have now fulfilled. and the measure de-
ponds hereafter wholly and solely upon the
will of Governor Hill. THE TRIBUNE. speak
ing as Republican Journal has nothing to gain
by urging the Governor to withhold his veto.
From a purely party point of view he can
do nothing better calculated to destroy his own
prospects than that which he seems bent upon
III this case. The ambitious politician who at
this stage of progress thus definitely commits
himself to the support of the Rum Power thus
squarely arrays himself against the strongest
clvilizing sentin ut of the age; thus declares
himself the warm friend and champion of those
vino live by the drink evil must assuredly
damn himself beyond redemption in respect of
future advancement.
But this is not in any true sense an issue to
be determined upon partisan considerations /;
aud because it concerns the whole community.
nay, the whole Nation because there is no
American man or woman or child whose desti-
ny may not be affected directly or indirectly
by the outcome of this contest with Drink ;
because it involves all social and religious and
political progress ; we counsel the Governor to
think better of his course, and to let the High
License bill become law even if the sacrifice
involved is the friendship of the Rum Power.
| He can better bear even that deprivation than
the consequences which a veto will entail upon
| him